3 p.m.: Polls close in Indiana and Kentucky. If Bill Clinton carries usually Republican Indiana, the night will probably be over early. On the other hand, if Kentucky goes Republican, Bob Dole may be making a late comeback.

4:30 p.m.: By this point, polls will have closed in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Ohio--all must-win states for Dole.

5 p.m.: For all practical purposes, the campaign may be finished at this point, when polls close in such large states as Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. If Clinton carries all of them, Dole will not be able to catch up.

8 p.m.: Polls close in California, Oregon and Washington.

HOUSE RACES

* If Reps. Dick Chrysler, a freshman in Michigan, and Martin Hoke, a second-term representative from Ohio both lose, that will be a strong indicator that Republicans are in trouble.

* On the other hand, the fates of Democratic Reps. Mike Ward of Kentucky and Bud Cramer of Alabama will be key tests of whether Democrats can stave off losses in the South.

* Later in the evening, look to see what happens with Republican J.D. Hayworth in Arizona, an ally of Newt Gingrich, and Elizabeth Furse in Oregon, one of the House's most liberal Democrats. Both are facing tough opposition.

SENATE RACES

The first indications of whether Democrats can recapture the Senate will come after 4 p.m. poll closings in Georgia, where Max Cleland (D) and Guy Millner (R) are in a tight race, and New Hampshire, where former Rep. Dick Swett (D) is hoping to unseat Sen. Robert C. Smith (R). If the Democrats lose those seats, Republicans can breathe easy. If Democrats win those two, watch later in the evening for hotly fought races in Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts and New Jersey, where polls close at 5 p.m.; Arkansas, where they close at 5:30; and Colorado, Louisiana and Minnesota, which close at 6.